We made a visit to the beautiful island Cres one of the northern islands of Croatia, reachable by a short ferry ride from the island Krk, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge, or from the coastal town Opatija. After leaving the ferry we drove uphill and went northwards on the nice country roads of the island. The northern part of the island is unspoiled, green and rough. It is best known as the breeding area of a large endangered bird – the Griffon vulture. It is beautiful to see them soaring along the steep cliffs above the green blue Adriatic sea and the clear blue sky.
We drove all the way to the small village Beli, located on a 130 m high hilltop with excellent views. In the past this village was one of the most important places on the island, and on the location of the village used to be a pre-historic fort. The village has an old church which still has some valuable Glagolitic inscriptions, there is also a Romanesque church of St. Mary with a museum collection, in front of the entrance into the village are prehistoric stables and a Roman bridge over the canyon.
This small village is perfect to relax and enjoy your holidays, especially great for walking through the beautiful Tramuntana woods and of course for sunbathing on the small, well protected pebble beach and harbour. Furthermore, you can go for snorkelling, or organised sea-diving either from a boat or directly from the beach in the clear blue sea to explore the beautiful underwater world of the Adriatic sea, and non-divers can come along on the boat trip too! There are several apartments and rooms to rent in the village and there is a small, simple, but totally idyllic camping ‘Brajdi’ near the sea. I really enjoyed the fresh baked fish and other simple, domestic but very delicious dishes.
Besides relaxing, swimming and sunbathing there are many places to visit on the island, like Lubenica, the town Cres, Osor and the island Losinj which is connected to Cres by a short bridge. Go for more information to the website of the official Tourism Office for Cres.
Holiday ideas for 3 days in the northern islands by Croatia4me
We from Croatia4me have some great ideas and tips to help you plan a day or more days out in specific regions in Croatia. These are just ideas you can add to your own holiday plans, you can follow the day to day ideas we have written below, or mix it all up or pick one or two items that …
Island Cres
A long stretched island of 65km with in the north breeding sites for the protected Griffon Vultures which can be seen soaring along the steep rocky cliffs. The south of the island has vineyards, olive trees and a mild climate. The roads to the north of the island are modernized and pass along steep ravines with beautiful views. The island …
Island Losinj
The island of Losinj is a great tourist destinations, also outside the high season, due to its favourable climate and healthy green pine trees it is a haven for people with allergies and lung problems. Mali Losinj belonged to the Venetians, just like neighbouring island Cres. Veli Losinj is a beautiful village with villa’s hiding in the green vegetation and …
Island Krk
The largest island of Croatia and a bridge with the mainland provides excellent accessibility by car. The international airport of Rijeka is located on the island and offers good connections and public transport with surrounding towns. The east-coast has white rocks that beautifully contrast with the clear blue sea, whereas the interior of the island is green and has ample …
